Clandestine
by TimelessCynic
Summary: In the fragile balance of the world, one misstep could shatter the precarious peace. Seto and Yami go from a life of monotonous normalcy to one rife with magic, lies, and seduction. AU fic, rated M for adult themes. Prideshipping.
1. First Impressions

**Title:** Clandestine

**Summary:** When Yami transfers to Domino High, he expects the school to be boring, but soon, resident playboy, Seto Kaiba, has his eye on him. It seems that things won't be dull in this school.

**Pairing:** Yami x Kaiba, Kaiba x Yami

**Rating:** M for possible graphic lemons, sexual content, and mature language

**Disclaimer**: I obviously do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, and this is just to say that Yu-Gi-Oh is indeed not mine, has not been mine, and will never be mine. And as sad as that fact is, well, life must go on!

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**ON A SIDE NOTE.  
Those of you who duel in real life, duelingnetwork (dot) com is an amazing site to deck test on. So, if any of you decide to play, add me...my user's holykhayos. and PM to duel! haha I love this game**

**Chapter 1: First Impressions**

Domino High was bustling with activity—students scrambling to their lockers, chatting with their friends, and all in all, creating general mayhem. Today, however, whispers about a foreign exchange student flew through the halls. The new student, still presently nameless, was said to have wild, tricolored hair, intense blood-red eyes, and a face that had the potential to make girls faint dead away. No one, yet everyone knew who he was. Gossip spread like the plague, and soon, the entire student body waited in anticipation of his arrival.

As if on cue, the main doors were thrust open, and _he_ walked in. He walked with an air of dignity, and looked almost ethereal, standing silhouetted in the glare of the sun. A hush settled over the lobby, and scattered whispers broke out. Mysterious and breathtaking, the girls found themselves falling in love, and the men found themselves growing envious. Dressed in only the best, the sophisticated teen surveyed the room, red eyes dancing with barely concealed amusement. His silken black shirt clung to the luscious curve of his shoulders, and tapered to his slim waist. He wore dark pants cinched with two overlapping, studded belts, the overall effect was rocker, but tastefully so. His expensive, studded boots moulded to his feet and muted his footsteps. A thick metal chain adorned his neck, and a sort of exotic pendant nestled against his chest.

As soon as he had come, he turned to leave. He took a step forward and found himself face to face with the broad chest of the school's self-proclaimed king. The smaller teen's eyes flashed, and he looked up into the dark, beady eyes of the ugliest human being he had ever laid eyes on.

"Need help, newbie?" Yami cringed as the stink of the bully's breath washed over his face. _Oh god, if he comes any closer, I might just asphyxiate. _As if the bully heard his thoughts, he promptly leaned closer and said, "you got no manners, kid? Or are you just awed at Ushio, _The King?_

"The King? Please. ," Yami rolled his eyes, edging away. He attempted to walk around Ushio, but found that the other man's bulk took up the better part of the hallway, and even with Yami's slight build, he had no hope of squeezing though.

"Going so soon? You didn't even tell us your name!" Ushio laughed racously, clearly enjoying himself.

_Us?_ Sure enough, a crowd had gathered around them, seemingly eager for something. He shrugged it off. It was nothing he couldn't handle, anyway.

Yami smirked. Two could play at this game. "I'm Yami. Under normal circumstances, I would say something like 'pleased to meet you', however, in this case, I'm afraid I can't say the same." _There. That should hold him for awhile. _

The crimson-eyed teen spun on his heel, and walked back the way he had come. A sudden movement behind him alerted him to his impending danger. Out of reflex, he dropped into a crouch, and whipped around just in time to dodge a punched aimed at his face.

Red-faced and positively quaking with anger, Ushio shoved a trembling finger into Yami chest, lips moving, but no sound coming out. Yami laughed "Kuriboh got your tongue? Or was it just my ridiculously fine ass? I bet you couldn't stand t osee it walk away from you." he paused "but next time, dear, try and be a bit more subtle, alright?" He threw Ushio a saucy wink, and waited for the explosion. Someone to the left of him chortled, and the chortle was followed by a laugh, and soon, the entire spectator crowd was laughing at Ushio's embarassment.

Yami didn't have to wait long. With a muffled scream of rage, Ushio launched himself at Yami, who stood calmly, as if waiting to be flattened. At the last possible second, Yami side-stepped, and gave Ushio a shove, causing the other teen to crash headlong into the lockers. Unhurt, but angrier than before, Ushio circled back, more cautious this time. He lunged at Yami, who jumped back, and sent Ushio sprawling over space that he just occupied.

Screams of outrage and excitement came from the observers as they watched Yami effortlessly dominate the other teenager. Their energy fueled Ushio, and he found strength to yell a battle cry before Yami snapped out his leg, and landed a solid kick on Ushio's shin.

"WHY YOU-" his scream of rage drowned out the rest of his sentence, and he threw himself at Yami, fully intent on crushing Yami beneath him.

"Ra, you really need to calm down. It's not like I'm annoying you or anything." Yami couldn't keep the smugness off his face. "Besides, I think we're putting on a good show, don't you? But it's getting a bit boring. Won't you step it up?"

Suddenly, Ushio was on top of him, pinning Yami's smaller body against the floor. "You gonna talk pretty now, punk? You going to? I'm going to beat you to a pulp, right here, right now. Beg for mercy. _Beg_ me for mercy."

Crimson eyes flashed, and one word rang out, loud and clear.

"No."

Flushing, and turning an unhealthy shade of puce, Ushio growled a warning, "this is your last chance. I'm not stopping after I get started, no matter how much you scream."

Yami pretended to consider his options. "So, it's either I beg for mercy, or I get beaten to pulp by the guy who's been trying to land a punch for oh...half an hour now. Choices, choices." He glared up at Ushio, "what do you think? Are you smart enough to figure that out?" Yami brought his knee up forcefully, where it connected with something fleshy. Ushio squealed in pain, and rolled off of Yami, clutching his crotch.

Yami smirked, and said, "I hope some of you got that on tape. Though I have to admit, I would appreciate it _immensely_ if you edited that bit with him on top of me, _out_. It was not fun, and more than a little bit disturbing."

Offering a curt nod as a parting farewell, Yami made his way to his first period class.

Yami smiled to himself. He was going to like it here.

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**(A/N): **Hey guys! This is my first fic, so please review and let me know if I should continue! I would really like constructive criticism and anything to help me to become a better writer :)Kaiba will show up in later chapters, I promise! We need him.

I'm loving you if you're reading this,

Valkyria


	2. Encounters

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter...so ENJOY!

Happy reading,  
Valkyria

**Chapter 2: Encounters**

His school was a maze. A big, fucking maze. And he was wandering around somewhere in the middle of it. Yami sighed. The bell would ring in about five minutes, and if he didn't get to homeroom, he'd get detention on his first day. _Shit._

Yami mentally kicked himself for not thinking of asking the counselor for a map. _Oh well, too late for that now. _He picked up his pace, and scoured the walls for signs, posters, maps, _anything_ to help him.

_If they wanted students to die running around in these hallways, someone could have at least warned me. _Yami scowled, and stopped at an intersection. _Hm…right or left?_ He looked undecidedly from one to the other, shrugged, turned left, and hoped for the best. Scowling furiously, he went particularly quickly around a corner, and crashed into a hard, very _masculine_ chest. He stumbled back a few steps, and seethed in anger.

"For the love of Ra!" Yami's temper flared. "If I crash into _one_ more person, somebody's going to get creamed in Duel Monsters!"

A low chuckle reached his ears. "And who might you be? Yami Motou? A world-class duelist? If you're not, I doubt you'll be able to hold your own against the great Seto Kaiba."

Yami finally took a good look at the person he so gracefully collided with. Once again, he felt the resentment of his small stature. The other man easily towered over him, and Yami was forced to look up to meet his eyes. The man before him was awe-inspiring, his chocolate locks teased over his brow, his lips, soft and supple…and his eyes were a brilliant, cyan blue. His body was sheathed in an obviously pricey Versace suit that transformed his already sexy form into a dark pillar of seduction. Tall, lean, and muscular, the blue-eyed man oozed power. He had the face to be on the cover of every magazine in the world, and the body to make any number of women fall at his feet.

The crimson-eyed teen stiffened slightly from both embarrassment and anger. "What hole have you been living in? I'm Yami Mutou, and obviously, I _am_ a world-class duelist." He stopped to think. Seto Kaiba? Kaiba. That name sounded familiar. He remembered something about him singlehandedly running a huge company from the age of 16 until now.

Inspiration hit him. "Ah. You're the CEO of KaibaCorp."

Kaiba sneered. "Took you long enough."

"Whoa, watch that ego." Yami barely suppressed an eye-roll. "See? At least _I_ don't live under a rock."

"Hn, I never said I've never heard of you. I just didn't get a good look at you since you barreled straight into my chest." And shuddering as if thinking of bad memories, he quickly brushed off the front of his impeccable suit jacket. "Besides, our obvious height difference made it quite difficult to see your face."

"I am NOT short!" Yami was dangerously close to pouting. He _never _pouted. Then again, no one had ever been stupid enough to tease the number one duelist in the world about something as trivial as his height.

"Mhm…" Kaiba smirked. "I'm sure you think so."

"I actually do think so!" At that moment, Yami wanted nothing more than to wipe that arrogant smirk straight off Kaiba's face. "Even though you _are _quite a bit taller than I am, I'm sure I could best you at Duel Monsters _and _physical sparring." _Oh shit. _Yami froze. The other really _was_ quite a bit taller than him, and a good deal bigger.

Kaiba turned the full intensity of his glare onto Yami.

_Ra, he has beautiful eyes._ _Wait what? Where did that come from? I can't be attracted to that egotistical jerk!_ Yami shook his head to clear the haze that had settled over his mind.

"Thinking of me?" Kaiba's breath teased the shell of his ear. Yami hadn't noticed how close they had gotten. He made an attempt to move away, but his back was met by an unyielding wall. He was successfully pinned against the wall by a another wall of solid flesh and muscle. A strange burning sensation started in the pit of his stomach, and worked its way through his body.

"Never." Yami chin lifted defiantly, and he unwittingly turned his face up toward Kaiba's. "Why the fuck would I think about you? Please, I only think of you in the context of "egotistical" and "asshole"."

Kaiba snorted brought his face down to Yami's neck an inhaled, his hot breath raising goosebumps on the other man's skin. A feral growl sounded in this throat. _He smelled so damn good. _

_"_It makes me hot when you talk all dirty, love." Seto smirked, and lewdly licked his lips.

"Love? Where did that come from? I know I'm devilishly attractive, but huh. You're that easy, ne?" Yami couldn't deny the desire that was building in him, but he'd be damned if he let that gorgeous asshole win so easily!

"Yami...if I were you, I wouldn't push me much farther... unless you want to test out your theory of besting me in physical combat?" he chuckled, and in a swift movement, had Yami arms pinned above his head. "I'm sure you've realized that I am not small by anyone's means, and you, are most definitely miniscule." Kaiba deliberately breathed out over the other's lips, relishing how the red-eyed man trembled against him.

"Of course. Whatever makes you happy." Yami snarled, pushing against the brunet, with a strength Seto didn't know he possessed. Maintaining his firm grip on Yami's arms, Seto leaned in for a kiss, brow furrowing in confusion, when Yami threw his head to the side and evaded his lips.

"Stop being such a _baby,_ Yami. We both know you want this. Stop denying us." The sexy CEO's voice ended in a low rumble that made Yami shiver in anticipation.

Taking advantage of Yami's temporary mentally inapacitated state, Seto quickly stole a kiss from the luscious lips so conveniently located below his own.

All at once, Yami felt every nerve ending in his body come alive, begging and waiting to be touched. Kaiba's lips came down on Yami's neck, his teeth and tongue working furiously up and down the column of his throat and across his jaw line toward his lips.

Yami writhed and squirmed under the skilled hands that skimmed up his sides and twined themselves in his hair. His arms instinctively came up and wrapped themselves around the brunet's neck, pressing their bodies impossibly closer, and seeking the other's lips with his own. Dipping his head to suckle at a sensitive spot below Yami's ear, Seto was rewarded with a long, sexy moan. Smirking against Yami's neck, he let his hands wander toward the other's pants.

Letting out mewls of desperation and want, Yami couldn't think straight, couldn't think at _all_, when Kaiba's mouth was doing such naughty things to his ear. When Seto's hand closed over the very prominent bulge in his pants, Yami nearly sobbed with pleasure. _Oh Ra, what was he doing?_

Removing the buckles of Yami's belt at a torturously slow pace, Kaiba slowly slid to his knees, when a loud female voice shrieked,

"Seto Kaiba!"

He was being interrupted. No one interrupted Seto Kaiba. He felt Yami stiffen, and instinctively pulled the smaller man towards his chest. _What? I don't do hugs. _Uncomfortably shifting with Yami in his arms, he turned to glare at the intruder, displeasure evident in his eyes.

"What the fuck do you want? I'm busy." His gaze fell on the woman who made her way slowly towards the pair. He mentally rolled his eyes. Mai Valentine. She never knew when to give up.

The blonde walking towards them had the classic large features of a school prep. Her curly hair swung from side to side as she walked, and the swaying of her hips became more seductive as she came closer to Seto. Her violet eyes appraised Yami as her mouth twisted into a sneer of evident displeasure.

She laughed, a dainty tinkling sound, "who's this? Your new plaything? I thought you were trying to be loyal, darling." Her glance at Yami was one of cold rage, and Yami met it with an equally cold stare of his own. He disentangled himself from Seto's arms, and stood with his arms across his chest.

"Loyal? It certainly looks like he's being the _opposite_ of loyal," Yami remarked snidely. He couldn't help but feel a little put out that Seto was involved and had taken advantage of him.

"But last night…Seto darling, surely you remember?" the blonde took advantage of the vacant space in Seto's arms to move in and twine her arms around his neck. "Surely, you can remember…this?" And she leaned into Seto and her eyes fluttered closed. Their lips met, and suddenly, Kaiba's arms encircled her waist,

He had seen enough. Yami cleared his throat rudely, and when the couple broke apart, he leveled a stare at Kaiba and curtly asked, "Where's Mr. Otakawa's room?"

Seto had finally found his voice, "two lefts and a right. Follow the green posters."

With a slight nod, Yami did as directed, striding swiftly away from the amorous pair. The last thing he saw before he disappeared around the corner was Seto's lips descending on Mai's. He longed to feel those lips back on his. Rage was building inside his chest.

How _dare_ that asshole use him? Yami Mutou was not a force to be trifled with. His anger won out against his longing. No one, but no one took advantage of him. Yami would get his revenge.

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**(A/N): ***gasp!* So Seto shows his true colors!  
Yami has something really embarassing in store for him. Keep reading, and please, please PLEASE review!

Special thanks to Blue September and JollyBigSis for giving me my first reviews EVER! :)

Valkyria


	3. Better Is Open Rebuke

**Chapter 3: Better Is Open Rebuke**

Still simmering with anger, Yami strode quickly into homeroom, briefly grimacing at the speed of which all eyes in the room turned to appraise him. Looking around, he noted that the teacher wasn't yet in the room. Internally breathing a sigh of relief, he looked for a place to sit down. All the students were looking at him with a mixture of uncertainty and intrigue, but most of them seemed to be expecting him to arrive. _Hn, and no one offered to save me from the labyrinth of halls. _This revelation did nothing to lighten his swiftly darkening mood.

Absently, Yami made his way toward one of the seats in the back row. Sliding the backpack straps off his shoulders, he leaned down to place it on the floor. He was fully intent on keeping to himself when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Straightening, and shooting an annoyed glance at the person, or rather, the persons behind him, he turned, and braced himself for the inevitable barrage of questions.

Surprisingly, there was none.

Instead, a soft voice said, "We've heard so much about you, and figured that you'd be lonely sitting all by yourself in the back, so we'd like to extend our friendship to you. I mean, not all the rumors can be true, right? So if you feel comfortable telling us stuff, then go ahead! We won't judge you or anything!"

Yami looked down at the short teenager in front of him, and almost immediately, raised an eyebrow in question. His annoyance momentarily forgotten, he scrutinized the other teen. That was odd. The student could have been related to him, for all he knew. Their unruly hair was the same style and color, their golden pendant exactly the same…strange coincidences indeed.

"I'm Yugi." The amethyst-eyed youngster smiled.

Yami politely extended his hand, and replied, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Yami. Yami Mutou."

Yugi pumped his hand eagerly, and exclaimed, "Yami Mutou? The world-famous duelist? Gosh! I'm so excited! My grandfather would absolutely _love _to meet you!" Yami cringed. _Crap. I hate it when they know who I am. _

"Ha, yeah. It's really no big deal." Yami shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He always thought it was weird when he ran into fans that worshipped him and constantly asked him to duel them. He would, but it just wasn't practical. Who would have the time of day to duel thousands upon thousands of people?

He cleared his throat self-consciously. "I just want to be a normal teenager that goes to school…but the fact that I am exceptionally good at dueling, makes having a normal life a bit difficult."

Yugi seemed to understand Yami's unwillingness to talk about himself, so he tried to change the subject. Yugi gestured at the group of people around him. Smiling widely, he told Yami, "I suppose I haven't introduced them yet." He pointed at the blond, "He's Jou. I suppose he can be a bit callous at times, but he means well, he really does…so just make sure you don't take offense to anything he says. He doesn't mean it!" Then in undertones, he muttered, "because most of the things he says doesn't run through his brain. Ugh!"

"_Nyeh_? Talking about me, huh, Yug'?" Jou good-naturedly ruffled Yugi's hair, and turned to Yami. "Nice ta meet ya, Yam'."

"It's _Yami_. I will not have you calling me the name of some type of potato!" Yami scowled. _Really! The nerve._

Chuckling slightly, and waving at the brunet standing next to Jou, Yugi continued, "You can't say I didn't warn you. He's Honda. He and Jou are best friends. You wouldn't believe all the trouble they get into. Honestly!" Shaking his head ruefully, Yugi moved to the next individual. Yami watched as warmth seeped into Yugi's already dancing eyes.

"And the last, Tea, is my girlfriend…"

As Yugi rambled on, Yami took the time to assess the others. Jou was indeed a hothead. Yami watched the blond speaking animatedly with his friend. Jou stood with a hand on his hip, chest thrust out, chin high in the air…yes, a very feminine pose, overall, but pompous, nonetheless. He spoke with a slight southern accent, and in Yami's opinion, had a rather annoying habit of adding _'nyeh' _to the end of every sentence. Inwardly shaking his head, he moved on to Honda.

Honda seemed slightly more intelligent, at least. He spoke loudly, and laughed in a similar volume, but overall, seemed like a more reasonable individual. With a slight quirk of his lips, he observed Tea. She and Yugi obviously liked each other a lot. But it wouldn't be obvious to someone who didn't know how to observe. They were probably keeping their relationship low profile. His assessment finished, he realized that Yugi had _finally _stopped talking.

At that moment, the bell rang, and Mr. Otakawa walked in. Look out at the class, his eyes went almost immediately to Yami.

Beaming, he said, "Wonderful! It seems that we have a new student!"

Yami resisted the urge to bang his forehead into the table. He hated being the new kid. It was always so _awkward_. Everyone wanted to hear about your life, the whole school gossiped about you, and all in all, it was just a big freaking nuisance. Sighing, he thought, _not this again. If his memory served him right, now, the teacher would ask him to—_

"-kindly agree to tell the class about himself!"

_I knew it._

Well, he had certainly seen that one coming. Leisurely getting to his feet, Yami gazed imperiously around the room, sighed, and began to speak. His voice rang clear and strong across the room.

"My name is Yami Mutou, and before any of you ask, yes, I am a world-famous duelist in the international trading card game Duel Monsters. I tend to keep a low profile, so those of you who don't know me, don't feel too bad." He offered a crooked smile. "However those of you who have, I'm flattered!" He paused to make eye contact with a few of the students, and saw with amusement that some where quite literally, gaping like fish.

Clearing his throat, Yami continued, "Overall, I still am a normal kid, so don't let my unhealthy obsession with Duel Monsters dissuade you from being friends with me! You can talk to me, I won't bite." Flashing a charming smile at the class, he sat down, and waited for a reaction.

After a long period of silence, the class began to clap.

Yami inclined his head as a way of acknowledgement, and stared impassively at the Mr. Otakawa. In truth, Yami felt as if he were being accepted…in this class at least. As long as some people in this school weren't complete jerks, he would be fine. Yami almost laughed aloud at the thought of hundreds little Ushios running around in some random school nearby.

Quickly silencing the class, Mr. Otakawa said, "Settle down, settle down! We have less than one minute remaining in class. It seems that all the excitement of having a new student has finally succeeded in waking you kids up! It's amazing what this old man has to do in the morning to get the slightest reaction out of you people!"

A few seconds later, the bell rang, and the sounds of chairs scraping against the floor drowned out all else.

Yami stepped out of the doorway, looked confusedly left and right, and smacked his forehead. He sighed. Again. In the stupid maze. Unexpectedly, Yami felt a tug at his shirt sleeve, and he looked down to see a timid underclassman holding out a white envelope to him.

The envelope was unsigned, but held traces of expensive cologne. Yami sniffed it experimentally. _It smells familiar._ Yami carefully slit open the envelope, and read the four words, inked carefully in a deep blue, inside.

_"Better is open rebuke."_

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**(A/N): **Hey! As per usual, I hope you guys enjoyed reading as much as I enjoy writing for you :)

And also, you know the drill, please, please **PLEASE REVIEW**!

Valkyria


	4. Than Hidden Love

****

Hello, my lovelies! A huuuuge thank you to all of you who reviewed, it really makes me squee inside :) (Especially to JollyBigSis, and Candy world, who have stuck by me throughout this story's lilfe of four chapters...LOL  
Oh, and JollyBigSis, all the confusion will be cleared up in this chapter :) You were meant to be confused, it's alright, haha.

On a happier note, did any of you go and see the new Yu-Gi-Oh! movie Bonds Beyond Time?  
It had a screening in NY Times Square (which is pretty close to where I live), so I went, and it was PREEEETTTTY COOL :D  
Oh, and the Malefic Red Eyes Black Dragon card wasn't a bad bonus either ^-^  
What I need is the Malefic Cyber end dragon *swoons*

There's going to be another screening sometime in March, the 5th to the 6th?  
SO IF YOU HAVEN'T GONE, GO.  
IT IS **TOTALLY **WORTH IT.

OKAY, soooooo onword with the story!

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**Chapter 4: Than Hidden Love**

Staring bewilderedly down at the message in front of him, Yami searched it for any kind of signature. But it was all in vain. There was no form of identification, and that only served to make Yami more confused. Sighing with exasperation, the red-eyed teen turned to question the messenger, just in time to see him blend in with the students heading away from him.

Frowning in displeasure, he read and reread the message before him, Yami's brow furrowed in concentration. Lightly tracing the lettering, he started on the way to his next class.

_Better is open rebuke. _

The same four words circled his thoughts, and teased at the stray tendrils of his conscience. It seemed to him that something was missing. What exactly was open rebuke better than? Walking slowly with his mind working in overdrive, Yami idly toyed with the metal chain at his neck, thinking deeply about the puzzle.

But _who_ had he rebuked recently? _No one._ That is…no one but Seto Kaiba. He snorted, _even that couldn't be counted as rebuke. If anything, I was the one that was snubbed. _It was definitely embarrassing how easily Yami allowed himself to be manipulated.

_Well, he was pretty hot._

_That's no reason._

_Well, it's been a long time!_

…_was that your reason?_

"Shut up!" Yami exclaimed aloud, earning him a few puzzled glances from students passing by him. Smiling sheepishly in their direction, Yami continued on his way. After a lot of pushing and shoving…and albeit a lot of guessing, he finally arrived at his destination. Effectively distracted from his musings, he quickly stepped out of the throng of students to move into the classroom.

Instinctively scanning the room for any familiar faces, his red gaze collided with a piercing blue. A familiar tug on his navel was only testament to what he knew already.

_Oh fuck. _It was him. Yami sucked in a breath. _Just my luck. The bastard's in my class. _

Due to his relative lateness, the spiky-haired teen observed, with growing dread, that the only available seat was the one next to Kaiba. _So much for having Yugi and his friends in this class…they seemed pleasant enough._

Mentally preparing himself for the ordeal that was sure to come, Yami gracefully slid into the seat next to the CEO and stoically faced forward, refusing to acknowledge the other's presence.

He could only sit still and feign disinterest for so long. Desperate for something to do, Yami looked again at his timetable and discovered that he was in American Literature. That was fine with him. Yami had an affinity for languages, and English happened to be exceptionally easy. Then, with a start, he realized that he had not acquired course books for _any _of his subjects. Then, stealing a quick glance at Kaiba's schedule, he was horrified that he had _every, single _afternoon class with the other. Huffing in frustration, Yami at last gave in to the impulse to bang his head on the table. _If I have to see him all day, every day, I think I'm going to kill myself. _

Resting his forehead against the cool wood of the desk, Yami began muttering a colorful string of profanities under his breath, completely oblivious to the amused glances Kaiba kept sending his way.

At this point, Seto was unabashedly staring at Yami, who had ceased beating his head against the furniture. Unable to resist a war of words, Seto said teasingly, "What happened? Bad hair day?"

"Ha ha, you're bloody, fucking hilarious." Yami replied sarcastically, shooting the brunet an angry glare. "Don't look so smug. You know you had a hand in ruining my day."

Looking undeniably self-satisfied, but also slightly affronted, Kaiba sniffed disdainfully before saying, "Well, I can't help that everyone in this school just _loves_ this face. I mean, honestly, what did you expect? A virgin with a body like mine? Don't be naïve." Suavely flicking a few strands of hair away from his face, Kaiba continued, "So what do you want? An apology? Well I sure as hell won—"

Yami interrupted him, "Save it, rich boy. Relax. I don't want _anything _from the likes of you. Just know that what you did was unacceptable, and I have every intention of making you suffer for the way you humiliated me in front of that blonde bimbo." His fiery gaze commanded respect, and despite the cocky CEO's cool exterior, Seto felt a tremor of apprehension run down his spine.

Smirking, the blue-eyed man retaliated. "Rich boy? Hypocrite. You're also rolling in millions every month. Actually, I think you might be the only person in Japan who could match me in both looks and money. Don't look at me like that. Yes, I just complimented you , and yes, I looked into your background, but I won't be surprised if you had done the same."

_Touché, _Yami thought. He had indeed asked the head of his research department to try and dig up some dirt on the young, enigmatic CEO. Smiling, Yami said, "guilty," and offered a pleasant smile in response to the jibe.

Just like that, Yami's hostile mood transformed into a pleasant friendly manner. This abrupt change both intrigued and unsettled Kaiba. If it came to a game of wits, both were masters, both were proud, and each battle would be more intense than the last.

As the teacher walked in, both fell silent and studiously began paying attention to the material being taught…that is, until Kaiba decided to be distracting.

Copying notes furiously from the board, Yami started when he felt a large hand creep up his thigh. Rolling his eyes, and promptly shoving the brunet's hand off his leg, Yami commenced taking notes. Again, the same hand clamped down on the soft flesh of his thigh, and lazily drew upwards.

Flustered, and annoyed at the same time, Yami slapped at Kaiba's hand, and snorted at the brunet's forwardness. Fifteen minutes passed, and Kaiba had successfully lulled Yami into a false sense of security. Swiftly aiming a jab at Yami's ribs, he was rewarded with a loud "ow!" that turned several heads.

"Mr. Kaiba, Mr. Mutou, is something the matter?" sensei took inventory of Yami's flushed cheeks, and Kaiba's customary innocent face. "Now boys, is it really so much to ask that you keep your…erm…activities, until after school ends?" Turning slightly red, himself, the teacher then threw himself into the lesson, intent on ignoring the events that were bound to happen anyway.

By this time, Yami's face was flaming, and Kaiba looked as cool as ever. Sniggers could be heard throughout the room, and Seto even allowed himself a small smile.

Successfully and thoroughly humiliated, Yami was determined to fend off any advances the man next to him would make for the duration of the class. _I only have to hold out for ten more minutes. Ten excruciating minutes, until I can get as far away from that self-centered idiot as possible._

Seconds later, Kaiba smoothly slid a slip of paper under his hand. Heaving an annoyed sigh, Yami read the note, mouth gaped in shock, reread it, and almost burst out laughing.

_Look at sensei's face. If only he were perspiring more…then it would really resemble a baboon's ass._

Scrawling a quick reply, Yami slid the paper towards Kaiba, and struggled to focus his attention on the hyperactive teacher's antics.

_Well, he wouldn't if you didn't cause it in the first place._

Arching a slim eyebrow, Kaiba's hand moved once again over the slip of paper.

_I did nothing. It was __your __traitorous face that gave it away. _

Lightly smacking the other on the arm, Yami scoffed, and tried to maintain as much dignity as possible. Refusing to be distracted any longer, Yami simply crumpled up the paper, and when sensei's back was turned, chucked it straight at the CEO, smirking at the disgruntled look he got in return.

Almost as an afterthought, Yami whispered, "you know, if you weren't such an incorrigible player, I might actually consider being friends with you."

"Almost consider? Ouch. You know you want to be friends with me." That smug, self-satisfied look was back on his face.

Yawning, and lazily waving him off, Yami retorted, "see? That's _exactly_ what I'm talking about. If you keep your mouth shut, no one would be able to resist you. But then, after a gander at your _monstrous _ego, people start running away." He paused, "I wonder why?"

Kaiba contemplated that for awhile, then said, "That's why being a player suits me. You never fall in love. I guess you could say that it's a way to protect myself."

_Eureka._

In that instant, Yami had figured it out. "It was _you_!" his bout of excitedness was contagious.

"What marvelous thing have I done this time?" Kaiba nonchalantly leaned back in his chair.

"'Better is open rebuke—'"

"'…than hidden love.' Yes, Yami. Congratulations, you've figured out my philosophy. I knew I liked you for a reason." This time, Seto's smile was fleeting, and in that instant as the bell rang, the brunet was out the door in three quick strides.

_Well, that was interesting. _It seemed that there was more to Seto Kaiba than Yami first gave him credit for.

_Better is open rebuke, than hidden love. _

Yami smiled. _I suppose that's the closest thing to an apology I'm going to get from him. _Too bad an apology wasn't going to save him. The crimson eyed teen's smile looked positively evil.

* * *

**(A/N):** So Yami's not a complete pushover then, huh?  
You know the drill, if you loved it, liked it, or HATED it, **PLEASE **review and let me knew :)

Hope you enjoyed!  
Valkyria


	5. Revealing

Hello all! Thank you to those who have reviewed, and another less enthusiastic thank you to those of you who read, but sadly, did _not_ review.  
Come on, guys! I have more than 1700 hits, and 13 reviews? That makes me extremely upset, and frankly, a tad bit discouraged. So PLEASE review if you want to see me writing at my best!

Much love,  
Valkyria

* * *

**Chapter 5: Revealing**

Kaiba had been uncharacteristically subdued for the course of the day, and frankly, it had Yami worried. As the bell rang shrilly, signaling the conclusion of the school day, both teens gathered their belongings and walked toward the exit in companionable silence. Whispers and mutterings followed the pair…but of course, it was only natural. Kaiba was the notorious player with a heart of ice, and Yami was fiery, seductive, and probably had an agenda of his own. Not to mention that they were both billionaires, and had wits as sharp as knives. Indeed, they were a fine pair.

Yami glanced around, and caught sight of Ushio, who was conveniently blocking their exit. Before Yami could tell him off, Kaiba beat him to it, and with a single word, instilled fear deep into the other's soul.

"_Move."_

It was amazing how quickly Ushio changed from cockily leaning against the door to cowering in fear, but nevertheless, to Yami's annoyance, he didn't budge.

Fighting to suppress a sneer, Seto's voice went infinitely more glacial, "Ushio. Did you not understand what I just told you? Surely one word isn't too difficult for you to understand."

Ushio swallowed, a lump forming visibly in the column of his throat. Nervously clearing his throat, he said, "I want—no I _demand_ a rematch. He" he jerked his head at Yami, " has humiliated me today, and now my status as King is questioned by everyone I see. So—"

Yami interrupted, "A rematch? You want to get physically beaten _again_? A glutton for punishment, I see."

Leveling a stare at Yami, Kaiba commented, "You kicked his ass and didn't tell me? Yami…that was rude of you." He gave the crimson-eyed teen a mock frown.

"Stop fucking talking about me like I'm not right in front of you!" Ushio seethed, his fear momentarily forgotten.

"You presume to tell either one of us what to do? And you go as far to demand something of us? I have more power in my little finger than you do in your whole body. Now for the last time, _move._" Kaiba was on the verge of physically removing Ushio from the doorway. Despite the other man's considerable bulk, he was reasonably confident in the fact that if worst came to worst, he could always attempt to kick him over and roll him away from the door.

Yami held up a hand. "Ushio, since I'm completely adverse to touching you_ ever_ again, I suggest that you 'challenge' me to a game of Duel Monsters." He was counting on Ushio to be ignorant of his duelist status, and was rewarded handsomely.

Ushio, none the wiser, eagerly agreed to his request. "Yes! That would be perfect." He considered himself to be quite proficient at Duel Monsters. "When should we battle?"

Seto snorted in distain. It would hardly be battle. Yami would _massacre_ the poor son of a bitch. Yami's voice filtered through his musings. "Tomorrow. Although, it wouldn't be nearly as exciting if we didn't have an audience." Yami absentmindedly tapped on his lip. Suddenly, he turned to Seto, "would you be a darling and ask the principal _nicely_ for use of the auditorium for the first five periods tomorrow?"

Quickly catching on, Seto jokingly asked, "By nicely, you mean _bribe_ of course, ne?"

Yami simply gave him a conspiratorial wink before looking at Ushio again. "Works for you?" and without giving the other man a chance to answer, he smiled sweetly, and took Kaiba's proffered arm, and the pair swept out.

Yami dropped Seto's arm in shock when they were met with what appeared to be half the school clustered around something. That something turned out to be two sleek limousines. One snow white, and one phantom black—stark contrasts of each other.

Murmurs of appreciation and awe rose from the crowd as they tried to figure out who the owner of the classic black one was. The white limo was quite familiar. Kaiba made a point ride to school in style every day.

Yami stifled a shocked bark of laughter as he glanced over at Kaiba. "I suppose the white one's yours?"

Acknowledging this with his signature smirk, Kaiba said, "Hn, obviously. I am—", he corrected himself, "well, I _was _the only one in this school who could afford the luxury. I suppose I am to correctly assume that the black one's yours."

"Too true, too true…now how are we to get to our rides?" Yami had yet to find a way to navigate through the crowd.

Experienced with dealing with the ways of the crowd, Kaiba simply walked into their midst, and shouldered them out of the way. Resigned, Yami let Seto walk ahead of him and realized that they were both making their way toward Seto's limo. He began to fight toward his own, but was stopped with a firm hand on his wrist.

"No, come home with me. My little brother would be dying to meet you." Seto's blue gaze was so open and sincere, so Yami was powerless to disagree.

Having successfully coerced Yami into staying in the same house with him, Seto set about shoving people out of the way much more vigorously. Yami signaled his chauffer, and gave him an apologetic look before following the CEO.

_Well,_ Seto thought, _it wasn't a complete lie. Mokuba _would _jump at a chance to see Yami Mutou duel. _He smirked. Too bad Mokuba wasn't going to be home today.

Finally settling into the plush interior of Kaiba's limo, Yami promptly pulled out his mobile and cancelled his reservations for the Shangri-La Hotel.

_Yes! _Kaiba would have danced a gig if it hadn't been such an unKaiba-like thing to do. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at Yami's actions, and Yami defended himself saying, "Well, when you said you thought I researched you, you thought right. I _did_ do my homework, and I know that you live on the other side of the blasted city, and that Shangri-La is at the opposite end of said city. Also, knowing you, you wouldn't have invited me over without the intention of me sleeping over anyway." He leaned back, finished with his small speech, and took in the subtle differences of his method of transportation and Kaiba's.

The interior was a soft blue, whereas his own was a deep crimson. Yami supposed that Kaiba had an affinity for water, ice, and such, while he preferred to play with fire. Quite literally.

It was by pure chance that Yami was staring out the window when he saw a suspicious-looking black sedan next to them. The driver kept surreptitiously stealing glances at them, and there seemed to be someone with a camera in the backseat. The driver had lavender eyes and white blonde hair. His features marred by a small scar at the corner of his eye. Looking closer, Yami managed to discern that he also seemed to be carrying some sort of rod. With a start, he looked down at his own puzzle and saw that the wdjat was the same. Why would that commoner have the royal crest on his trinket?

Thinking heavily, Yami turned his attention to the cameraman in the backseat. He wasn't able to see much of the facial features, but managed to make out a shock of white hair, and extremely pale skin. They obviously weren't reporters. Yami had been followed by more than his fair share of them, but this lot didn't look like reporters. There was something distinctly military about these men, and it unnerved Yami.

"Seto. Seto, look." Yami gestured toward the men in the car next to them.

Frowning in distaste, Seto knew that Yami wouldn't disturb him for nothing. He leaned over to get a glimpse of them, took inventory of their car, and instantly realized there was something amiss. Quickly ordering his chauffer to drive faster, Seto immediately snatched his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a few quick numbers. After three short, brusque conversations, Yami saw a streak of black as another car sped towards them, seemingly on the course to barrel straight into the limo. Horrified, he then whipped around to see the other sedan angle itself toward them, slowly inching in toward them.

Yami seemed to draw within himself, and Seto did nothing but hope that the people he called knew what they were doing, and were as efficient as they claimed to be.

Time seemed to slow as the rogue drivers continued on their kamikaze mission. Yami came to a terrible conclusion: if the limo couldn't go any faster, the impact of both cars in the midsection of the vehicle would cause the body of the limo to cave in, and consequently, kill them. Certainly that qualified as an emergency, right?

Yami swore that he would never use it public. Swore never to let another living soul see the full extent of his gifts. But now, if he didn't want to perish, he would have to break his vow.

With a sardonic smile, Yami realized that if he and Seto both survived this, then he would have a hell of a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

**(A/N): **Shangri-La IS in fact a very posh hotel in Japan :) Just thought that would be interesting~  
**  
**Soooo, what'd you think?

REVIEW!

:3  
Valkyria


	6. Shock

Really, really sorry for the delay! I've had so much stuff to do T^T AND ALSO, FANFICTION WOULDN'T LET ME UPLOAD THIS D:  
in my defense, this chapter was written at 5:30 in the morning **5 DAYS AGO**, and I've been SO MAD because some random ERROR 2 message keeps popping up . GAH

I know, I know, no excuse, right? PLEASE don't hate me! I'll be better with updating in the future, promise :)

* * *

**Chapter 6: Shock**

The two sedans converged on the hapless limousine, and it felt like time became elastic. As if fate were taunting them, Yami sighted traffic up ahead, and breathed a string of curses that made Seto flinch and raise an eyebrow.

Under too much of a time crunch to care why they were being targeted, Yami turned to Seto, "Kaiba, if you see anything strange happening, close your eyes and hum to yourself. Got it?"

Snorting and glancing bemusedly back at Yami Seto replied, "Kaiba's don't hum. I'm sure we'll be fine. No need to do anything drastic. I have almost complete faith in the men that I pay…because if they don't arrive on time to deal with those bloody bastards, then there'll be hell to pay."

_Yeah, but if your bloody bastards don't arrive on time, we'd be too fucking dead to give hell to anyone! _Yami raged inside his mind. He knew that what he was about to do was necessary. There was no way in hell Kaiba's men would get here in time.

Swiftly glancing to either side, Yami judged the sedans to be a mere twenty meters away. Striving for calm, and eventually finding it, Yami reached into the link that connected his mind to his puzzle. He chuckled darkly; it really was so much more than people thought. It was the legendary family jewel of Egypt—of which the throne he was entitled to. How odd, that he had to now use the magic he had spent years perfecting in his homeland.

Shoving these errant thoughts out of his head, he reached for the tendrils of magic that flowed through his core, the teasing fingers of light that coyly brushed against his conscience, then slithered teasingly out of his reach. A glowing golden eye appeared in the center of his forehead, and when Yami opened his eyes, gold warred with crimson, creating a dizzying mirage of raw energy.

_I can do this. _Yami struggled toward the tranquility that eluded him, failing to maintain a firm hold on his magic. In a flash of desperation, Yami made to snatch at a strand of the fleeting light, but in his lapse of control, he grasped a thick column of it. _Oh shit. _His magic was potent. He was born to a pure line of magic users, and the use of such extensive magic could, in fact, kill him and good number of people in the vicinity. Pushing these terrifying thoughts out of his head, he focused on one. The only coherent thought in his head was: _safety. _

Knowing that even if he perished, his magic wouldn't fail him, so Yami opened his eyes, gave Seto a sleepy smile of reassurance, and succumbed to the waiting arms of oblivion, smiling softly as he heard Seto's disgruntled, and slightly alarmed voice shout, "what the fuck?"

* * *

To any other outsider, the striking, white limo simply vanished in a blinding flash of light, leaving two sedans running dead on into each other. Any outsider would have also seen the unmistakable skid marks that the vehicle made on the pavement. The result would have been a completely befuddled general public, and a very angry group of assassins.

As the two black sedans cut across lanes of traffic, tires squealing on the gravel, bewildered and frightened pedestrians either honked, or swerved out of the way, eventually leading into a massive traffic jam, and more than a few accidents.

"Fuck!" Marik screamed as he swerved to avoid a wayward pedestrian in the other car currently barreling towards him. As a result, he banked sharply into the steel safety bar separating the road from a steep drop into the river below. Accidentally flipping the car over the low bar, Marik gave a high-pitched, undignified, scream of fright. "Bakura, you pathetic excuse of a thief, use your damn Millennium Item! You _know_ mine's only good for mind control!"

The albino smirked, and sat back, even as the car continued its terrifying plunge into the water. "Can you swim, Marik? Because I sure can." Closing his eyes and becoming the epitome of calm, Bakura did nothing, letting Marik sweat, before sighing in resignation, and the car jerked to a stop, and ceased its free-fall.

Unprepared for such an abrupt stop, Marik's forehead smashed into the wheel, and the airbag exploded in his face, crushing it against the headrest. He moaned, and twisted, giving Bakura a venomous glare. "Bakura, you bitch!" Marik raged, "If I could get a hand free right now, your skinny albino ass would be flying out the window!" Boiling over with anger, Marik's tanned face reddened and became an interesting shade of muddy brown.

"Yes, and your other hand would be clutching your 'precious face', correct, Marik?" Bakura was completely indifferent to his partner's anguished growls. Thoughtfully considering the wreckage above, Bakura remarked, "I'm not too worried about the pharaoh. He doesn't even know the full extent of the Sennen Puzzle. "

Still fuming, Marik snapped, "he just freaking _teleported_ them to Ra knows where, and you're telling me that he has _no Idea _about what he's doing? Ha!" He gave a derisive snort. "Could have fooled me!"

Ignoring Marik's outburst, Bakura said, "Well, seems to me we need to get the boss an alibi." Opening the door of the conspicuous, floating sedan, Bakura stepped out, and waved his hand. The car dropped into the lake with a mighty splash.

Coughing, sputtering, and indeed clutching his face, Marik broke the surface of the lake, cursing every part of the albino's body.

"There, there, Marik, now the boss won't be so angry with me. I was the one who had to go into the lake and save your sorry ass." Once a thief, always a thief, and thieves always put themselves first.

* * *

Thousands of miles away, two figures lay in a compromising position in the scorching sands of a desert.

Kaiba awoke to the feel of someone's warm body on top of him, but _fuck_ whoever it was, was crushing his penis.

Opening his eyes to the blinding light of the desert, Kaiba let out a groan of pain, and shut them tightly. Squinting now, he saw that Yami was lying on top of him, his head nestled neatly in the crook of his neck.

The sun was relentless, and Kaiba could already feel himself perspiring in his trademark long overcoat. There were no signs of life, and for the life of him, Seto had no idea where they were. The skies were clear though, however in this case, a little rain would be most welcome.

Looking down at Yami, Kaiba felt an unfamiliar emotion surge through him. Unaccustomed to this feeling, Seto naturally shied away from it. Lightly brushing the other's blond bangs out his face, he nudged him and said "Yami, get the fuck off. Under any other circumstance, this position would be very enjoyable for the both of us, but now, you're _crushing my damn dick._"

Yami stirred slightly, shifting his weight, and jammed the sharp edge of his hip against Kaiba's crotch.

"OW! Fucking—" Kaiba winced and fought the urge to squirm away from the pain.

"Mm…Seto. Something wrong?" Yami smiled sleepily up at Seto's irritated face.

"_Yes_, Yami. You. Are. Crushing. My. Dick." Kaiba grimaced, and since the pharaoh was awake, shoved him off his chest.

Chuckling slightly, Yami was still disoriented. "Kaiba…why in Ra's name is it so fucking _hot_?"

Glaring at the shorter teen, Kaiba said, "You're the one who pulled that freaky stunt to get us here! What the fuck _was_ that anyway? Actually, never mind! Just look around—you should be able to decipher where we are, at least."

Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, Yami looked out onto the sand dunes that surrounded them. _He knew this place_.

Yami looked up at Seto and smiled sheepishly, "Oops."

* * *

**(A/N):** LOL, oops indeed  
You know the drill!  
Reviews make me happy :)

Valkyria


	7. Confusion

HEY! I think fanfiction if FINALLY back to normal! Just yesterday I tried to post a new story, but couldn't get it updated! :) well, at least now it's fixed, and you're getting a chapter for this, and a chapter in my new story Wild Celtic Blue.

On a happier note, I think I was better about updating this week :)

Happy reading!  
Valkyria

* * *

**Chapter 7: **Confusion

Looking around him in awe, Yami felt a sense of belonging. He thought it was beautiful…the endless expanses of sweeping sand, and the life, hidden just under the surface. It was definitely too hot for the clothes he had on, but he loved his homeland and his people. Since they were here anyway, he didn't suppose Kaiba would mind spending a day or two in Egypt. Surely he'd been here before anyways.

Smiling to himself, Yami thought, _I wouldn't be surprised if he had a couple branches of KaibaCorp here either. _

Stealing a glance at Kaiba, he studied the handsome profile of the other man. Perspiring lightly, his face shadowed against the sun, Kaiba was a vision, a face dominated by icy blue eyes, a strong jaw, and an elegant, delicate nose. His sweep of silky brown hair glinted in the sunlight, and Yami entertained an errant thought_, I wonder if he would object to me running my fingers through it. _

Yami was never one to deny himself, so taking advantage of the CEO's distracted state of mind, he swiftly reached up and captured a lock of Kaiba's hair between his fingers. He almost moaned at the feel of it against this skin. _It's softer than it looks…and it looked plenty soft from where I was standing. _

Resisting the urge to turn the tentative touch into something more, Kaiba stood stoically, painfully aware of the other's proximity. He sucked in a breath as Yami's fingers raked gently through his hair, and caressed the side of his face. Turning his face into the palm of Yami's hand, Kaiba smiled and pressed a kiss to the soft skin he found there. His smoldering cyan eyes sought Yami's, and gazed at Yami with such trust…trust that he wouldn't give to anyone else.

Captivated by Seto's eyes, and pleased by the other's naked emotion, Yami raised his other hand and stroked down the side of Seto's neck, marveling at the long lines and hardness beneath his fingertips. Unable to resist the urge, Yami slipped his arms around the taller man's neck and nestled himself against the CEO's chest, relishing the smooth planes of muscle beneath his cheek.

The sense of belonging intensified as Yami marveled at the way their bodies molded together, each curve and contour seemingly made for the other. The sweltering heat did nothing to drive them apart. It had been a long time since either male had felt such a sense of serenity…and certainly not in the blazing sands of Egypt.

Yami made a sound, similar to the purring of a housecat, as Seto's nimble fingers stroked up and down the muscular expanse of his back, burrowing deeper into the embrace.

Resting his cheek against Yami's surprisingly smooth hair, Seto murmured, "Hate to ruin our moment, but where exactly are we? You look so happy…"

Looking up, and smiling into the other's eyes, Yami stepped away and spread his arms. "This is my kingdom, Seto. Welcome to my domain." It pleased him, Yami realized, to call himself pharaoh of this magnificent land. Its diversity never failed to amaze him, and the vitality of the people, of the nature here, was breathtaking.

Taken aback, and albeit a little jealous, Kaiba sputtered indignantly, "_Egypt?_ What the hell!" His mind tried to process the paranormal happenings. "That's not possible! How in the seven hells did you get us here? Magic isn't real!" He continued ranting and trying to reason out the fact that magic wasn't possible, because scientifically speaking, it wasn't. And Seto was nothing if not scientific and methodological.

Extremely put out that Yami had a _country_ and he didn't, Seto was definitely more than a little upset.

Watching amusedly as Kaiba went from the Law of Quantum Mechanics to some other scientific babbles he had never heard of, Yami started ignoring what was coming out of the CEO's mouth, and instead, focused on the sexiness of the being that was Seto Kaiba.

Growing tired of Kaiba's tirade, Yami simply smiled and despite the heat and his mounting exhaustion, summoned enough wind to lift Kaiba a foot off the ground.

"But due to the sayings of—DAMMIT YAMI, PUT ME DOWN!" Taken completely off guard, Kaiba's arms flailed helplessly as he dangled a foot of the ground. His Celtic blue eyes locked on Yami's crimson, accusing and annoyed, snapping with azure fire.

Plastering an innocent smile on his face, Yami said, "Who? Me? Magic isn't real, remember? It's probably just your imagination."

Smirking evilly, the crimson-eyed teen lazily spun his finger, and Kaiba found himself rotating slowly in the air.

Scowling and cursing under his breath, Kaiba glared at Yami. "Put me down this instant, or I swear, I will fucking castrate you!"

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that." Strangely, Yami found strength returning to him. Tormenting Seto was just so much fun. Feeling slightly nauseous from watching Kaiba spin, Yam I could only imagine how the other man felt. Feeling a stab of pity, Yami stopped the spinning, but instead, lifted the other man higher above the ground.

Closing his eyes, and concentrating on reaching the sand beneath him, Kaiba fairly growled from the exertion of his willpower. As his feet touched the sandy floor of the desert, he started, and stared back into the wide eyes of Yami.

"What? How did you reach the floor? I didn't even let you go yet!" Yami was so upset he pouted like a petulant child. "Seto! No fair!"

Flashing his trademark smirk at Yami, Seto said, "I can do anything I please, now let's see if I can do the same to you…" Furrowing his eyebrows, he willed Yami to rise, and to his surprise and horror, Yami flew more than fifty feet in the air, quickly ascending, and when Kaiba panicked, and willed Yami to come down again, he was again horrified to see Yami hurtling towards him, like shot launched from a cannon.

"Kaiba! This really isn't the time to be trying to kill me!" Yami struggled against Seto's surprisingly potent sorcery. "Seto! Fucking concentrate and—SHIT!"

Kaiba had indeed concentrated, and as a result, Yami was yanked back up, a twisted likeness of a marionette on invisible strings.

Sighing and deciding to take matters into his own hands, Yami felt his magic flow out of him, stopping his ascent, and drifted slowly onto the ground.

Staring warily at Kaiba, Yami said, "Kaiba…we need to look into your family tree. There is a distinct possibility that your family was once from Egypt as well. No one but the Pharaoh and his Royal Guards are capable of using magic with only the power of their minds." Smirking sardonically, "Also, I wouldn't mind teaching you to control your powers."

Shooting a playful glare in Yami's direction, Kaiba replied, "me? Learn from you? Don't make me laugh."

Chuckling, Yami had no intention of honoring that statement, so he ignored it and moved on. "So, since we're already here in my homeland, would you be adverse to staying here for…oh, about a week or so?"

Kaiba looked absolutely horrified. "Here? In _Egypt?_ Where it's hot and sticky and just...ugh! I can't even describe the absurdity of the situation." Patting self-consciously at his damp face, he was horrified to feel sunburn beginning to assault his precious skin.

Yami reached up and pinched Kaiba's cheek, earning him an undignified yelp from Kaiba, "I think you could use a little sun. Your vampire look will only attract so many girls."

* * *

**(A/N): **Nothing quite like a healthy dose of magic, ne?

Leave one :)


	8. Ancient Enemies

Sorry for the long wait again! I know I promised another chapter, and HERE IT IS :)

* * *

**Chapter 8: Ancient Enemies**

It was definitely odd that Yami knew every subtle landmark in the sea of sand that was Egypt. One glance around him would tell him his exact location, and another above would tell him what time it was.

Yami walked briskly, ignoring the sweat that was beading on his skin, the scorching sun that hung over his head, and the gorgeous man that was cussing steadily at his side.

Extremely eager to get to his palace, Yami was definitely pushing his body to the limit. At the pace that they were going, both he and Seto would arrive in Cairo in no time. It was only a few miles away, after all.

Turning his face up to the sun, Yami knew that Egypt was where he belonged, the heat complementing his temper, the shifting sands akin to the warring emotions in his eyes…the dramatic changes from scalding to freezing—extremes that could punish as well as nurture.

Increasing his pace, Yami was irritated to find that Seto merely lengthened his stride, and kept up effortlessly. Heaving a sigh of exasperation, Yami decided not to push the pace any further. It was always a battle of wills between them. Who would back down first? Who would concede?

Neither.

Both men were too proud for that. Resigned, Yami lost himself in the maelstrom of his thoughts. A couple of minutes later, he suddenly registered a queer sort of quaking beneath his boots. Thinking nothing of it—it was probably just one of the many enigmas of the desert—he ignored the tremors and kept onward. Gradually, the quaking increased into visible shaking of the ground. Growling and stopping short, he looked at Seto irritably and said, "not funny, Kaiba. Now really isn't the time to be playing with your powers."

Shaking himself out of his own thoughts, and looking at the shorter teen in surprise, Kaiba replied with a short, "What?" Then, realizing the pronounced tremors beneath his feet, he looked downward, and pointed at his feet and said confusedly, "_that?_ That's not me."

Yami commended the way Kaiba managed to look amused, affronted, and suave all at once, while giving Yami his trademark raised eyebrow.

Not believing Kaiba for a moment, Yami rolled his eyes, and retorted, "Alright. If you say so." But he made no move to openly contradict him.

Closing his eyes, he stretched his power down into the earth to try and remedy the trembling, Yami encountered an alien presence at the core of Egypt. _This was definitely not Seto. _

Feeling an unwanted presence trying to force itself into his mind, Yami retaliated viciously, and shoved it out of his head. Reinforcing the magic around his memories, he steeled himself and delved straight into the mind of the unwelcome visitor. The stranger was powerful, the pharaoh would admit that.

Pushing harder, and breaking past the evil's defenses, Yami encountered a mind rife with evil, so vast, and so dark, it was like he was in the fabled Shadow Realm that was rumored to house the souls of those who dared defy the all-powerful Pharaoh.

Shuddering against the freezing grip of the menacing entity before him, he plowed forward, deeper into the darkness, stopping only when he met a barrier he knew he couldn't cross.

Walls of glittering ice loomed before him, daring him to walk forward into its frigid clutches. Wanting to, but still rational, Yami knew that in his weakened state, he would do no good for his people.

Hating that he was useless, that he would need to recuperate before he could protect his country, Yami retreated from the darkness, and woke to realize he was kneeling in the sand, in Seto's arms, clinging to the other's muscled biceps.

Coughing embarrassedly, Yami pulled away, and began to shiver, despite the heat pounding down from the sun. Seconds later, his vision began to darken and lighten sporadically, the light of day becoming a pinpoint in a sea of darkness. He swayed where he knelt, and raised a hand to his clammy forehead, moaning slightly from exhaustion.

"Yami. What's wrong?" Kaiba demanded, growing increasingly more worried when the other refused to speak.

Opening his mouth to question Yami further, Kaiba began to speak, but cut himself off as Yami lost consciousness, and toppled forward. Lunging toward Yami, Kaiba caught him neatly, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Hearing a distinct rumbling behind him, Kaiba felt a strange tingling in his core. Whipping his head back, he saw, with mounting horror, a wide rift opening up in the ground near them. Strange wisps of black matter were spewing out and reaching toward them. Acting quickly, and grasping Yami tighter, Kaiba began to run.

But no matter how fast or in which direction he went, the mysterious malevolence followed, drawing closer and closer to them. Each time Kaiba ran through a mass of dark matter, he felt a coldness etch itself into his very bones.

Panting, exhausted from the entire day of a grueling pace of walking, Kaiba could feel his legs buckling with each running stride he took. His muscles were screaming, and each breath felt like scorching knives ripping at his throat. Kaiba knew his limits…he had seconds before his body would give out, and they would both fall prey to the yawning cavern of the new inhabitant of the desert.

Cursing, Seto saw that he was surrounded by a swirling mass of the dark smoke. Smoke so thick, it looked almost opaque. Shaking from fatigue, but refusing to be beaten, Kaiba shielded Yami's body with his own, trembling ferociously when the darkness brushed against him.

The menacing tendrils of pure darkness closed in, filling his eyes, nose, mouth…and Kaiba felt himself falling…endlessly falling, into the yawning cavern of shadows, begging for Yami's forgiveness.

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**(A/N): **Yeah, I know it's kind of weird, but tell me what you think anyways!

God, a smiley or frowny face would do the trick! ;) Once I reach 50 reviews, you WILL get an update!

Valkyria


	9. Lost

**I'm baaaack :) My sincerest apologies for the HUGE delay. You know...AP tests, the SAT, finals...all that shit's coming up now.  
I got this chapter up in the middle of studying, so its a bit short... :( forgive me? **

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Chapter 9: Lost

He was floating…trapped on the sea of darkness that surrounded him. He was lost—utterly lost in the depths of the inky blackness. And it was cold…so cold. He felt numbness creeping into his extremities, seeping through his pores, and into his blood.

His head flopped uselessly from side to side as he fought the haze that blanketed his mind, and dulled his senses. His breath came in harsh bursts as he struggled to move even a muscle of his body.

He tried to yell…to shout, anything. But the best he could manage was a pitiful, strangled groan. The cold, it seemed, had even stolen his breath.

_Where was he? _He certainly wasn't on a ground. He felt weightless, supported by…_something, _something of which he wasn't entirely sure. This couldn't be normal, could it?

Seto struggled to open his eyes. Blinked. Opened them wider. Cursed.

_Shit._

Either he'd gone blind, or he was in a place so dark that not even a pinpoint of light could penetrate it. He severely hoped that it was the latter. He would be royally screwed if he had gone blind.

Sighing in frustration, Kaiba realized he had no time to entertain such trivial thoughts. His main priority now should be to figure out where he was.

Wincing in pain, Seto tried to raise his arm, but couldn't. Staring down at the traitorous limb with a glare, he again tried to move it, but it didn't budge.

Growling with effort, Kaiba wrenched his arm towards him, his jaw clenched tight with exertion. He thrashed inside his elastic prison, putting every ounce of his remaining energy into escaping…but to no avail. The bonds stretched with every movement, a sick, twisted variation of rubber.

Tired, beaten, Kaiba tried one last tactic. He reached inside his being and focused on the magic he knew he'd find there. He sent a quick prayer to anyone who was up there…anyone who was listening….to help him get through this alive.

His magic ran rampant; a bright flash of light that temporarily blinded him. It poured out of him in waves, bathing his skin, his hair, his being, eating at the evil that surrounded him. Pale blue light flooded the corners of the space that he had occupied, completely destroying the imprisoning substance that had threatened Seto.

Elated, he relished the feeling the unmistakable give of bonds being broken, of a burden being cast down.

Kaiba belatedly realized that he had been playing a warped sort of tug of war with some substance in this mysterious place. Under any other circumstance, he would have laughed. However, in the present situation, he was in no mood for laughing.

Free, yet unable to move his body, Seto was angry. Angrier than he had been in a long time.

Pissed, cold, and tired, Seto felt his temper flare. What the fuck was going on here?

With a start, he swore. How had he not noticed before?

No. It couldn't be.

_Where the hell was Yami? _

Panicking, and trying valiantly not to show it, Kaiba tried to scan the room, only to find with severe irritation, that he _couldn't_ because of the damn darkness of the nameless place he was in.

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. Something…or someone, was watching him. The temperature plummeted, sending Kaiba's tortured body into weak spasms in space. Trapped, caught like a fly on a spider's web, Seto felt uncharacteristically helpless.

Kaibas were _never _helpless.

If he were going to die, he'd die free, not lying there, waiting to take it, like some fucking _wuss_.

_Interesting thoughts, Priest Set._

"What?" Seto all but shouted into the empty air around him, wincing at the raspy quality of his voice . He glanced sightlessly around in paranoia, his body uselessly trapped beneath the oppressive weight of the blackness

_It's all in your head, Seto. I'm in your head. _Maniacal laughter cackled through his mind, the force of the laugh teasing the frayed ends of Seto's nerves into agony.

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**(A/N): HA! Yes! :) more evilness! *cackles*  
REVIEW  
they make me happy **

**Valkyria**

**PS i recently got a twitter...so :) follow me (at)Holykhayos**


	10. We Meet Again

**(A/N): **I'M BACK! I'm soooo sorry. There was this huuge case of writer's block, but I have a general idea of where this story is going now :)  
I HOPE I HAVEN'T LOST ALL MY READERS. Please enjoy the new chapter :D

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**Chapter 10: We Meet Again**

Yami blearily opened his eyes and struggled to place his surroundings. He scowled, but it was tired and halfhearted. Sitting up, he winced as muscles everywhere in his body began to scream their protest.

Yami reached up and grimaced.

_Ugh, my hair is a mess._ His lips quirked upward at the thought of thinking about something so mundane.

Quickly pushing that thought out of his head, he glanced around to room. The floor and walls of the room were a matching shade of slate grey…fairly ordinary. Military, even.

Though everything seemed relatively harmless, something in the room w as blatantly out of place. There was nothing. Not even a window, or door. Whoever took him obviously wanted to achieve something akin to the Stockholm Syndrome…if his kidnapper was going to even meet him face to face at all.

Yami snorted. There was a very slim chance he would come to be dependent on any deranged kidnapper.

It suddenly hit him. There weren't any imperfections in his surroundings.

There wasn't a nick or scratch anywhere.

Yami started as something brushed against his consciousness. The touch was strangely familiar…

The pressure returned, stronger this time. It overwhelmed his senses, drilling into his most private thoughts. Yami instinctively thrust up his mental barriers in a weak attempt to fend off the unexpected onslaught.

His leaden limbs refused to push him into a standing position, so he dragged himself over to lean by the wall instead.

Yami's eyes were clamped tightly shut, and his breaths came in quick, uneven gasps. Perspiration rolled down his forehead, and suddenly, the presence faded.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Yami's mental barriers began to recede.

Almost immediately, he cursed his stupidity. A crushing blow shattered Yami's defenses, and an image of Kaiba, snarling as he struggled against his bonds of darkness.

Stifling a gasp, and smoothing his features. Yami made his face an inscrutable mask of stone.

He knew who he was dealing with now.

_Hello Dartz._

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Yes, short I know, but hey, I'll try and update more frequently now I know what I'm doing :)

REVIEW PLEASE

Valkyrie


	11. Terror

No way, an update?  
I'm so, so sorry for not updating x.x  
I find myself with so much writer's block sometimes, it's not even funny.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

**Also, for my readers that actually play Yu-Gi-Oh!, the card game, there is a fabulous site called duelingnetwork (dot) com.  
Join and hit me up! My user's holykhayos, and I'm down to duel whenever. Just shoot me a PM, and get your game on!**

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**Chapter 11: Terror**

Dartz reclined on the dais, his slender fingers tucked under his chin. Deep in thought, he shifted and steepled his fingers. Flat, green eyes wandered aimlessly around the dismal throne room of his kingdom. Ha, who was he trying to fool? It was a kingdom no longer. Ever since the pharaoh had thwarted his attempts to rule, he had nothing. Nothing…but a relentless burn for revenge.

A single ray of sunlight fell weakly on the stone floor at his feet, and steady drip of water echoed throughout the chamber. Dartz scowled, his mood becoming steadily blacker. Whenever his thoughts turned to the pharaoh, his thirst for retribution returned.

Yami had been surprisingly quick in his recognition of his presence. _Although, _Dartz thought with a quirk of his lips, _he has known me for eons._

He thought of bonds that held Kaiba, and couldn't repress the surge of satisfaction. Atem had such an attachment to his High Priest, and it seemed like nothing about their relationship changed…even in another time. Though there was one thing that would undoubtedly work in his favor. Seto, the reincarnation of Set, refused to acknowledge the presence of magic, and was highly inexperienced in wielding his power.

_He has so much untapped power. Power that is now at my disposal. _If he wished, Dartz could have the malevolent tendrils snatch Kaiba's energy from his very core…energy that could not be replaced by any means. And when that energy was depleted enough, Kaiba would undoubtedly fall into the void. However…that would be no fun. Dying would give him no satisfaction, and ultimately, the pharaoh would suffer if his lover suffered along with him.

Suddenly smashing his hand on the plush covering of his throne, Dartz growled. It was a low, feral sound that tore itself from his throat, and echoed around him. Flashes of red accompanied the green of his eyes, and the unsteadiness of his hands revealed how ill at ease he truly was.

He knew he was afraid of the pharaoh. Blastedly afraid. But who wasn't? Atem wielded enough power to completely demolish the universe several times over, and it was painfully obvious, Dartz wouldn't stand a chance. But Atem wasn't here…and he couldn't escape from the pocket of space that he was trapped in. Dartz made sure that Atem was trapped as far away from Earth as possible. The meager protection of the humans not nearly enough to keep the Pharaoh at bay.

He needed to stop thinking of his weaknesses. Striving to find something to convince himself that his plan was indeed working, he absentmindedly waved a hand in the empty space before him He watched as a dark mist coalesced and showed him the image of the priest, bound and helpless in the Shadow Realm. One of the many images that Dartz would enjoy tormenting Seto with later.

He chuckled as he saw Kaiba's mouth agape in a silent scream of agony. Dartz waved his hand again, needing to hear Kaiba scream. The mist vanished, and coalesced again to present him a sea of darkness. _A sea of darkness?_ He snorted. _A mistake. _

A faint trace of doubt wormed its way into the back of his mind as he waved his hand yet again, and watched as the inky haze pulsed and cleared again…to show him the same swath of darkness. Dartz paused, a trace of perspiration rolling down his cheek.

_Where the fuck was the priest?_

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_Aw yeah. A mini panick attack for our villain :)_


End file.
